| 23/10/25 |
What a wonderful end to the term! Year 5 have been hard at work collecting rich and effective vocabulary for their descriptive writing, using expanded noun phrases to bring their ideas to life. They have carefully crafted their own versions of the scene leading up to Liam and Florida’s arrival at Infinity Park from our class text, Cosmic. In Maths, the children have been exploring fact families and using the inverse to solve addition and subtraction problems but they have also been competing in their houses to enthusiastically complete the Times Table Battle of the Bands! In Computing, we’ve been learning about the World Wide Web and how to refine online searches effectively. Science lessons have focused on understanding why we experience day and night, and how Earth’s invisible axis plays an important role. In History, the children were fascinated to learn about the remarkable inventions of the Ancient Sumerians and how these early innovations have influenced the modern world. It was lovely to see so many of you during Family Conferences. We wish you all a fantastic half-term break and look forward to welcoming everyone back refreshed and ready for more learning next term! |
| 17/10/25 |
Well done, Year 5, for another incredible week! In English, we have been writing balanced arguments, using formal language to present the for and against points of Liam travelling to China. In Maths, we have been practising the formal written methods for adding and subtracting four-digit numbers. We’ve also been using mental strategies, such as partitioning, to solve problems efficiently. In Science, we explored how long it takes each planet in the solar system to orbit the Sun. We were amazed to discover that Neptune takes 165 years to complete a single orbit! In History, we learned that the ancient Sumerians were the first to develop a writing system. They used symbols carved with a stylus on clay tablets - a fascinating step in the history of communication. Have a lovely weekend, and we look forward to seeing you all on Monday! |
| 10/10/25 |
What another busy week in Year 5! This week in Mathematics, the children have been learning how to round numbers to the nearest 10, 100, and 1,000. They have carefully followed the steps involved and are developing increasing confidence in applying their understanding to different contexts. In English, pupils have been planning a balanced argument based on our class text Cosmic. They have explored the reasons for and against Liam taking Florida to China, where the world’s largest thrill ride can be found. This planning will form the basis for their balanced argument writing next week. In History, the children have been studying the key events that took place during the period of Ancient Sumer, deepening their understanding of one of the world’s earliest known civilisations. During Computing, pupils investigated a range of search engines, evaluating their features and discussing which they found most efficient and user-friendly. In Science, the children created memorable mnemonics to help recall the order of the planets in our solar system. A highlight of the week was an exciting workshop experience, where pupils stepped inside one of the largest domes in the UK to explore the wonders of the solar system — a truly inspiring way to end the week. |
| 3/10/25 |
Year 5 has had another brilliant week of learning and creativity! The children produced some fantastic writing, focusing on the use of parenthesis. Writing in the role of Dad from Cosmic, they crafted thoughtful and imaginative notes to Liam. Our focus in Maths has been on number lines, where pupils identified the value of intervals, compared and ordered numbers, and confidently used the symbols greater than, less than and equals to. In Science, we explored fascinating theories about the shape of the Earth. Is it flat or round? The children engaged in some brilliant discussions, weighing up evidence and sharing their ideas. Our systems topic continued in Computing, with pupils discovering just how invaluable systems are in everyday life. On Thursday, the children had the exciting opportunity to meet their Bookmark mentors. They showed beautiful behaviour and thoroughly enjoyed chatting with their new partners. We rounded off Thursday with a wonderful cake sale! A huge thank you to everyone who donated, bought, or helped sell. The children loved the whole experience—from designing posters and promoting the sale to preparing for the big event. What a fantastic way to finish the week! |
| 26/9/25 |
This week, we have been busy proofreading and publishing our diary entries, written from the perspective of Liam in Cosmic. We were very impressed with the children’s editing skills and how they published their writing for the wall. In Maths, we explored the powers of ten and used a Gattegno chart to help us multiply and divide by these powers with confidence. In Music, we practised rhythm on the xylophones and refined our singing notes as we prepare for our whole-class song. In Computing, we learnt what a system is and discovered that almost any object can be considered a system if it has both an input and an output. In French, we revisited counting to ten and extended our learning by creating sentences using “brother” and “sister.” To finish the week, we used our imaginative designs to bring our space-themed book corner to life, ready for the whole-school competition. We’ve had a fantastic week of learning and creativity - have a wonderful weekend, and we look forward to seeing everyone on Monday! |
| 19/9/25 |
This week in Year 5, the children have been incredibly busy planning and drafting their diary entry as Liam from COSMIC. The children have included some excellent language and phrases, even incorporating relative clauses, in order to demonstrate how Liam is thinking and feeling despite all the events that have happened to him. In Maths, the children have learnt how to read, write, and order numbers up to a million. In science, the children have shared what they already know about Earth and Space. We have been very impressed with their prior knowledge learnt from Year 2. They have looked at the sun, the moon, and Earth and investigated why and how we have seasons. In Music, they have followed along with the melody and have enjoyed clapping to the beats. In PE, we have had football and the children have learnt new skills and enjoyed passing with their partner. Have a lovely weekend and see you next week. |
| 12/9/25 |
What a fantastic start to the year! The children have settled extremely well into their new classroom and have quickly embraced their roles as responsible citizens of Darley Dene. In English, we’ve been enjoying our class text Cosmic and have been gathering rich and effective vocabulary to describe the main character. We’ve written detailed character profiles and even brought the story to life through role play, stepping into the shoes of the main characters. In Science, we’ve begun our exciting new topic on Earth and Space. We've learnt that the Earth, Sun, and Moon are all spherical in shape and discussed how they relate to one another in our solar system. In RE, we’ve reflected on what Religious Education means to us and shared our prior knowledge of different religions and our understanding of them. Wishing you all a lovely weekend - we look forward to seeing everyone back on Monday! |
